MLB picks: Astros vs. White Sox, Cubs vs. Diamondbacks

We’ve got a full Friday slate of MLB games to dissect fresh out of the All-Star break! Let’s narrow things down to our top two bets of the evening.

We’ll start with a look at the matchup between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox. Then we’ll highlight a meeting between the Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Houston Astros (55-36) at Chicago White Sox (54-35), 8:10 p.m. ET

Lance McCullers Jr. and the Astros should start the unofficial second half of their season with a win over Dylan Cease and the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night.

McCullers has pitched brilliantly in five starts since coming off the IL, going 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA. One of those outings was a quality start against the South Siders (two runs over six innings on June 20). Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, and Yoan Moncada are just 6-for-27 (.222) combined all-time against the Florida native.

Backing McCullers is an Astros bullpen that’s been lights-out to begin July, authoring a 2.38 ERA, good for third in the majors.

Cease has been inconsistent over the last two months of the season, with one of his “down” outings coming against Houston on June 17. He lasted only 3 1/3 innings that day, surrendering six earned runs before being sent to the showers.

Michael Brantley took Cease deep for a three-run homer in the first inning of that tilt. He and Jose Altuve (3-for-5 against Cease with a homer) should be difference-makers in this one.

MLB pick: Astros -137

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Chicago Cubs (44-46) at Arizona Diamondbacks (26-66), 9:40 p.m. ET

The Cubs closed out the first half of the campaign on a 2-13 run, but they should still prove best over the dreadful Diamondbacks on Friday night, at least early.

Kyle Hendricks will toe the rubber for Chicago here. He’s still not tasted defeat since May 9, producing a 2.56 ERA over his last 11 starts while working no fewer than six innings on each occasion. Hendricks will take on a D-backs offense that’s 27th in OPS on the season (.676).

Madison Bumgarner makes his first start since June 2 for Arizona. Much like 2020, he’s off to a rocky start in 2021, authoring an out-of-character 5.73 ERA. It’s unlikely he’ll pitch deep into this game, leaving ample opportunity for the Cubs offense to tackle the D-backs’ atrocious bullpen (25th by ERA in July at 6.70).

Don’t give the Cubs’ relief corps (24th by ERA in July at 6.32) a chance to cost you a victory; cash in early with the first five innings line at a better price.

MLB pick: Cubs -137 (first five innings)